a) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for supplying light to endoscopes having a light source apparatus, which, as required, feeds white continuous light or sequential coloured light by means of a filter device having several colour surface regions and two filter discs which can be rotary driven, into the particular endoscope.
b) Description of the Prior Art
A device of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,133. This device has a filter device which is irradiated with light from a light source apparatus in order to feed white continuous light or sequential coloured light into the light conductor at the proximal end of an endoscope. The filter device has a first revolving filter disc with the three colour segments red, green and blue and a second rotary-adjustable disc having a filter part which suppresses infra-red radiation, and free access for the white light of the light source apparatus. The second disc with its free access to the ray path of the light source is adjusted to introduce white continuous light into the light conductor of the endoscope, whereas the first filter disc is driven laterally out of the ray path of the light source. If sequential coloured light is to be fed into the light conductor, the second disc is set for infra-red suppression on its filter part and the first filter disc is returned back into the ray path of the light source. The first filter disc also requires a separate drive for the lateral drivability just explained, in addition to its rotary drive. This construction of the filter device is expensive in terms of material and cost and demands an increased space requirement.
The object of the invention consists in improving the device mentioned in the introduction such that on the one hand, as required, white continuous light or sequential coloured light may be made available as illuminating light for different types of endoscopes using a simplified, inexpensive and compact construction of the light source apparatus, and in that on the other hand the device can be used as an insert.